Controlling device



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR '1. ANDERSON, OF CHAMPAIG-N, ILLINOIS.

CONTROLLING DEVICE.

Application filed March 25, 1919.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR T. ANDER- soN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Ohampaign, in the county of Ghampaign and State ofIllinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in ControllingDevices,'of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to controlling devices, for electric motors,particularly to rheostats, and has for its object the provision oflatching means for holding the rheostat arm at one limit of its movementwhen the switch is in its closed position, the latch- .ing means beingautomatically released when the switch is opened so that the rheostatarm will move to the other limit of its movement.

An important object is the provision of a device of this character inwhich the latching means will be released under the influence of aweight which automatically descends when the switch is moved to openposition.

A further object is the provision of a device of this character whichwill be comparatively simple and inexpensive in manufacture, efficientin use, durable in service and a general improvement of the art.

lVith the above and other objects and advantages in view, the inventionconsists in the details of construction to be hereinafter described andclaimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which Figure 1 isa front elevation of a controlling device constructed in accordance withmy invention and showing the rheostat arm at one limit of its movement,

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the rheostat arm moved to the otherlimit of its movement,

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view showing the switch in side elevation,

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view through the device, showing thewedge operating means in detail.

Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view on the line 55 of Fig. 4,

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view showing the rheostat handle and its spring,

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary view showing the connection of the operating rodand arm, and

Fig. 8 is a detail sectional view showing the wedge blocks and theirIguides in plan.

Referring more particular y to the draw- Specification of LettersPatent.

Patented J ul y 15, 1919.

Serial No. 284,999.

ing, the numeral 10 designates the casing of my device within which isdisposed any suitable arrangement of resistance coils constituting arheostat, not shown. The numeral 11 designates the rheostat handle whichis pivoted at 12 upon the casing 10 and which is movable over a seriesof contacts 13 arranged in an arcuate row. lVhen the handle engagesagainst the endmost contact 14, the handle is in its neutral positionand then engages against a suitable rest or sto 15 l isposed within thecasin 10 is a switch 16 of the double pole single throw type. The wireconnections between the switch and the resistance coils forming therheostat are not shown, as forming no part of the present invention.

In carrying out my invention I provide a transverse bar 17 secured uponthe blades of the switch 16 adjacent their pivot points and carrying adownwardly extending arm 18 upon the lower end of which is pivotallysecured a wedge-block 19 having a beveled face 20. Disposed within thecasing 10 and slidable within brackets 21 secured upon the inner side ofthe front wall of the casing, is a horizontally disposed rod 22 upon oneend of which is secured a wedge-block 23 having a beveled face 24engaging against the face of the block 19. A guide 24 is provided andincludes right angularly extending branches 24 and 24, the formerguidably receiving the block 19 and the latter being adapted to guidablyreceive the block 23 in its movement. A coil spring 25 surrounds the rod22 and abuts against one bracket 21 and against a washer 26 secured uponthe rod 22 whereby the block 23 will always be urged into engagementwith the block 19. Connected with the other end of the rod 22 by a slotand pin connection 27 is a vertically extending arm 28 pivotallyconnected intermediate its ends, as shown at 29, upon the inner face ofthe front wall of the casing. At its upper end, the rod 28 has a slotand pin connection 30 with a slidable bar 31 movable through a bracket32 and carrying at its end a head 38 having its under surface beveled,as shown at 34.

I further provide a plurality of vertically slidable links 35 movablethrough brackets 36 and connected with rocking links 37 pivoted, asshown at 38. The upper end of one endmost slidable link 35 slidable link35.

bears against the beveled surface 34 of the head 33 and the upper end ofthe other endmost slidable link 35 is'bent forwa'rdly, as shown at 39,and extends through a slot in the front Wall of the casing 10. A weight11 is secured upon the projecting end 39.

Pivoted at 12 upon theiront wall of'the casing 10 is a latch bar 43which has one jarm 'tadisposedbelow the weight 411 and which -;has;-itsother arm provided with-a projection iel gaging a lug 16 extending from;the handleill.

The operation of the device is as 01- The parts being in the,positionshown in Fig. 1 of the-drawing, movement of the switch I '16. toopen-position causes swinging movement of the arm 18 carried by the gbar17. As the farm 18 swings, carrying with it the block 19, which moves inits guide 24?,- the spring-25 will causethe-vblock 2'3 to:.b e =move'dtotherighti-nto its guide 21", itsjinclined or-beveled face 21 movingalong.- the inclined or beveled face 20 of the block 19. As the-block2-3 thus -moves,= the rod 22 will correspondingly move, 1'which -will-res1f1lt1-in swinging movement =-,of 1 the -arm- 28 about I its pivot29. When the-arm 28' isthus? anoved, the-bar.- 31 will slide to theleft, carrying with it the .head 33 so that the head '33 will be innon-obstructing; position in -relatio-n;tothe upper end of the first IThe provision of the weight 41-upon the other: endmost 'slidable link 35causes a-- constant, upward pressure upon the head-33. so that whenthe-head 33 is moved :into non-0bstructing position,=all the links35will slide and the links-37 will rock upon theiripivotsgand theweights 41 will descend. WVhen the weight 11 is thus moved downwardly,it will engage the arm '44Lofthelatchmember43 and tilt this latch handlewill then drop to its neutral position, as shown in Fig. 2. When the arm11 is again placed in its initial position and the switch 16 moved toits closedposition, the weight 41 will be automatically elevated so thatthe latch member 43 willreengage the lug 4:6 and maintain the handle 11in vertical position.

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment ofmy'invention, it is of course to be understood that I reserve the-rightto make such changes in-the form, construction, and arrangement of partsas will not depart from the spirit of the invention or the scope of thesubjoined claim.

;Having thus described my invention 1 claim:

A device of the characterdescribedcom- ;prising in combination, apivotedcontroller handle, a pivoted switch, a .pivote'd latch member engagingsaid handle, an arm conoted lever connected with said rod, a train ofslidable and pivoted links operatively connected with one another,a-slidable bar connected with said lever and serving as a stop forone-endmost sliding link of said train, and a weight carried by theother endmost one of-saidsliding links and disposed in position toengage said latch member.

In testimony w-hereoflaffix my signature.

' ARTHUR T. ANDERSON.

.-0opies of-tzhis' pate'ntmay lbe -obtainedior five cents each b yaddressing the Commissioner Jot/Patents,

QWaIhington, D. c."

